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Migrant Caravan Now A Health Crisis

Authorities in Tijuana, Mexico are now reporting that the migrant caravan is facing a health crisis. Some 2,200 cases of a contagious respiratory infection have been diagnosed. Also, over 100 cases of lice, along with a number of cases of HIV and tuberculosis. This problem may get much worse now that the area was hit by cooler temperatures and much rain. The soccer stadium where many of the migrants are living at is on a flood plain. Authorities are planning to move many, if not all, of the migrants to another location some 11 miles further inland away from the Pacific coast. More importantly, away from Tijuana where the migrants are creating numerous problems for local residents, including an increase in crime and excess trash.

One of the reasons for the poor conditions in Tijuana is that the facilities there are only meant to support some 700 refugees, not the nearly 10,000 which have shown up. The migrant caravan is costing the city of Tijuana some $30,000 per day to deal with. Money they do not have. The mayor of Tijuana is blaming the caravan′s organizers for this humanitarian crisis. Many of the migrants are growing very angry, claiming that the organizers had lied to them about being able to enter the United States quickly and easily. But, that has not been the case.

Already, about 500 migrants have accepted the offer by the Mexican government to take a free bus ride back to their homes in Central America. Mexico is also now planning to begin deporting some of the 600 known criminals who are part of the caravan. However, even with these actions, there will still be nearly 9,000 migrants from the caravan in Mexico, spreading disease and costing the government much money. Mexico has appealed to the United Nations and other countries for financial assistance.

They may need it, too! Migrants must remain in Mexico while waiting for their asylum cases to be heard in American courts. Just processing all of the migrants will take weeks. The court cases could take 2 years or longer. Mexico has offered asylum to the migrants, and work visas for those not qualified for asylum. A jobs fair was held in Tijuana earlier this week to find jobs for many of the migrants.

Meanwhile, reaction by Democrats and their allies in the Fake News Media turned sour after confirmation that it was Barack Obama who, in 2010, reauthorized the use of tear gas by the Customs Border Patrol. During the Obama years, the CBP used tear gas against migrants trying to cross the southern border more than 80 times. Most of these incidents were never reported by the Fake News Media. One San Diego newspaper described one such incident from November 25, 2013, where CBP officers fired tear gas on some 100 migrants attempting to swarm the border about 100 miles east of San Ysidro. This past Sunday, over 1,000 migrants tried to swarm the border when CBP officers fired tear gas and pepper spray at rock-throwing migrants. Three CBP officers were injured during the attempted invasion.